Farleigh last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Farleigh is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Farleigh.

Meaning of Farleigh

A locational surname referring to a meadow or ferny clearing by a wooded area.

Farleigh, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Farleigh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Farleigh in America

Farleigh is the 69579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Farleigh surname appeared 282 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Farleigh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Farleigh to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

20102000Change (%)
Rank695796239610.89%
Count282300-6.19%
Proportion per 100k0.100.11-9.52%

The history of the last name Farleigh

The surname Farleigh has its roots in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the village of Farleigh in Wiltshire, or possibly from places called Farleigh in Somerset or Hampshire.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Farlegh." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

The name Farleigh is thought to be derived from the Old English words "fearn" meaning fern, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. This etymology suggests that the original bearers of the name may have lived near or owned land in a fern-covered clearing or meadow.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Farleye," "Farlee," and "Farlye." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages before English spelling became standardized.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Farleigh, who was a member of the English Parliament in the late 14th century. Another was Sir Thomas Farleigh, a prominent landowner in Somerset during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Church of England, with William Farleigh being baptized in Wiltshire in 1592. Around the same time, a Richard Farleigh was recorded in the tax rolls of Hampshire in 1598.

During the 17th century, the name spread beyond its original regions, with bearers of the name appearing in various parts of England. One such individual was Robert Farleigh, a merchant who lived in London in the mid-1600s.

In the 18th century, the Farleigh family produced several notable figures, including John Farleigh, a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the south of England. His son, William Farleigh, was a respected physician who practiced in Bath in the late 1700s.

As the centuries progressed, the Farleigh name continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and military personnel. Despite its relatively uncommon nature, the name has persisted throughout the centuries, preserving its connection to the English countryside and the historic villages from which it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Farleigh

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Farleigh.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Farleigh was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only96.45%272
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races3.55%10
Hispanic Origin0.00%0

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Farleigh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White96.45%96.33%0.12%
Black0.00%0.00%0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.00%0.00%0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races3.55%1.67%72.03%
Hispanic0.00%(S)%(S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Farleigh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Farleigh, please contact us.

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